Top news this week is, of course, the disbandment of BORN. The visual kei scene is reeling after the announcement of their departure following their 8th Anniversary live at Zepp Diver City on May 26. Vocalist Ryoga left a heartfelt comment in which he takes responsibility for the breakup, expressing his deep love for the band and his regret at having come to this decision. The boys have a full schedule ahead, so there are plenty of chances to see them before they go. Be sure to support them until the end and we wish all the members luck in their future endeavors.

DISGUST has also announced their disbandment following their sponsored live on March 24 at Osaka RUIDO. It seems the members came to this conclusion after discussing their individual futures. They will release one final single before they go, titled LOKAPALA, on February 15.

In better news, NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST just dropped their new look as well as news of a new mini-album. Titled ZeTes, the album drops on April 20 followed by a short one-man tour starting in March. And, to make the deal even sweeter, the group has made it possible to buy tickets to the show from overseas via Rakuten. I can tell you, one of the hardest and sometimes most disappointing part of planning a music pilgrimage to Japan is getting your hands on high-demand concert tickets, so seeing them take us into consideration is a big deal. Even if you won’t be attending the show, I suggest dropping them a tweet to let them know it’s appreciated.

Kamijo‘s postponed trip to Paris has officially been rescheduled. As I’m sure you are aware, Kamijo and B7Klan were forced to cancel his appearances in the wake of terrorist attacks, but they have now been rescheduled for September 3 and 4. If you bought tickets to the original show, your tickets ARE valid for the new dates, so don’t throw them out. If you need tickets, you can buy them here.

Former Deathgaze frontman, Ai, is hitting us with yet another solo release. His first full album CONFUSION releases April 20 in Japan with a simultaneous worldwide digital release. If the singles are any indication, this is sure to be a great album, so mark your calendars and top up those iTunes cards.

And just ahead of their first US appearance at Tokyo in Tulsa, MeteoroiD has announced the release of a new single. No details as of yet aside from an April 20 release, but you can bet we’re excited. Don’t forget to pick up their upcoming best album, BEST BULLET, in the meantime on February 10.

We’ll finish this one up once again with a New Band Alert. Last week, we reported on the return of My Bacteria Heat Island as a TenTen solo project. This week’s new band features former MBHI guitarist Kouryuu and drummer Tetsuya. Called HATE (Howl at the End), the group also includes former NAINE vocalist hiLo and guitarist Takuya. I haven’t heard any music yet, but I am super excited by this lineup and will be watching them closely.